Unprecedented NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration study to examine the effects of space on the human body
Thanks to Astronaut Mark Kelly and NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, the twins provided the most comprehensive and integrated molecular view to date of how a human responds to spaceflight And it looks like GOOD NEWS to MARS trip. 🚀 But wait results have thrown up some mysteries.
Let's see 🧐 > Three years ago, retired American astronaut Scott Kelly came back to Earth. Scott, with 340 days on board the ISS, has had the longest stay in space of any American as he himself described, there's a lot to contend with in that time, from radiation to weightlessness, a restricted diet and messed up sleep cycle, as well as isolation. His twin brother, Mark Kelly (who had been an astronaut), was under similar scrutiny here on Earth. > The researchers discovered that there were no long-lasting major ill-effects on Scott’s body despite him spending almost a year orbiting at 400 km above his brother. They also discovered that many of the changes that did occur returned to normal six months after his return to Earth.
Why twins? 👩🚀👨🚀
The twin study provided NASA with a unique opportunity to use Scott’s twin brother, Mark, as a baseline control here on Earth. With Mark and Scott being so genetically similar, researchers were able to sift out changes that occurred to Scott as a result of his exposure to space travel from any changes that may have occurred naturally to the twins as a result of their genome. They give a really in-depth view of cellular, molecular and physiological changes that helped in learning what is in the range of what a human can endure.
Key findings:
> Scott experienced dramatic shifts in telomere length dynamics, a biomarker that can help evaluate health and potential long-term risks of spaceflight. > Scott experienced thickening of the carotid artery, thickening of the retina, and weight loss. As well as a reduction in cognitive abilities. > There was some DNA damage: 91% of Scott’s gene expression levels returned to normal or baseline levels within six months of landing back on Earth. About 7% of gene expression changes persisted after six months on Earth. > The flu vaccine administered in space worked exactly the same as on Earth. Good news if future missions require vaccinations to be performed > Changes in Scott’s diversity of gut flora in space was no greater than stress-related changes scientists observe on Earth > Proper nutrition and exercise while in space resulted in decreased body mass and increased folic acid, which is vital for making red blood cells. The majority of radical changes in gene expression occurred during the latter six months of the space mission rather than the first six month period. > NASA attributed most of the key findings and effects to the stresses placed on the human body by spaceflight rather than an external effect such as exposure to radiation. NASA concludes: “Given that the majority of the biological and human health variables remained stable, or returned to baseline, these data suggest that human health can be mostly sustained over this duration of spaceflight."
